Ricky Choi continues to impress

KUALA LUMPUR - Trainer Ricky Choi enjoyed his best day at the office since his relocation from Macau to Kuala Lumpur when Lucky To Win ($51 on the Singapore tote), Luen On Feelings ($15) and Revue ($12) won three consecutive races for the former Hong Kong jockey-turned-trainer on Dec 15.

But he always knew that such an afternoon will come eventually since Wealthyness gave him a winning start on Nov 17.

Revue provided him with his second win a week later but the subsequent two weeks have been frustrating for Choi with just a couple of placings to show.

“Most of my horses were not suitable on the wet tracks in the last couple of weeks and I knew my fortunes would turn around today with the ‘good’ track,” he said.

After an unplaced debut over 1,300m, Lucky To Win – Choi’s first runner in Malaysia – came from just off the pace to win the RM35,000 (S$10,600) Class 4A handicap over 1,600m.

Leading jockey Ruzaini Supien settled the Deep Field gelding in third spot behind the pacemaker Mainstream. He took a gap between runners in the straight before beating off a determined Najwan to win by 3⁄4 length.

“This horse needed the run last start and was more suited over today’s trip. He has won over 1,800m in Macau,” said Choi.

After two consecutive placings (beaten a head in his last run), Luen On Feelings came into his own with a 3¼-length-win in the RM35,000 Class 4A (1,400m) handicap.

Again, Ruzaini showed patience as he let Luen On Feelings bowl along behind the pace set by Olympia.

Luen On Feelings and Lim’s Craft raced up to Olympia at the 400m but the leader held them at bay till the 150m. That’s when Luen On Feelings quickened his strides, dashed through between the other two horses and began to pull away.

Luen On Feelings left them standing in the run home, scoring going away.

“He (Luen On Feelings) just failed to catch the winner (So We Fight) last start on a (yielding) track that was not to his liking,” said Choi.

“With Low Kang Cheng (the rider of Lucky To Win and Luen On Feelings in their last start) suspended, I knew I had to get Ruzaini to ride them.

“I have been watching him. He’s a strong rider and I knew he would get the two horses to relax and come home.”

For Ruzaini, the partnership with Choi was several weeks in the making.

“To be honest, he tried to get me from Day 1 but I was busy with other commitments,” said Ruzaini.

“I told him I will ride a winner for him today. I am happy for him because he had three winners and I rode two of them.”

Revue, who scored a runaway 8¼-length win over 1,300m in his debut on Nov 24, capped a superb afternoon for Choi when he took the RM40,000 Supreme B set-weight event over 1,400m.

Whereas the six-year-old gelding by Delago Deluxe chased the pacemaker before drawing away at his last start, he came from off the pace to beat Lim’s Betterready and the favourite Saint Tropez this time.

“I told trainer Choi I didn’t think I can lead or race with the pace today because of the barrier draw (7),” said apprentice Nuqman Rozi.

“I told him I needed to save ground and get him to settle down off the pace and make my move at the top of the straight.

“But at the 600m when I pushed him for an effort, he wasn’t responding. I then let him settle down and halfway down the straight when he was breathing well, I knew I had a chance.”

Last-start winner Saint Tropez set the pace and was holding Lim’s Betterready at bay until the last 100m, when Revue charged home on the outside to win drawing away by 1¾ lengths. Lim’s Betterready managed to beat Saint Tropez for second.

“It was a superb ride by Nuqman,” said Choi, who is elated with his first hat-trick in Malaysia. “I hope this is the start of better things to come.”

SELANGOR TURF CLUB/TURFONLINE